Antibiotics History

We can hardly imagine modern medicine without antibiotics. They cure many infectious diseases, which were considered life-threatening not so long ago.

Perhaps, it is difficult to find a human being in the civilized world, who would never take antimicrobial drugs in his life. Today, we buy antibiotics in drugstores and, at the same time, do not even think about the fact that the history of antibiotics counts for about 100 years.

The pharmaceutical industry produces a wide variety of antibiotics in different price categories. So, the choice and purchase of an optimal antibiotic often brings a lot of difficulties for non-specialists.

Today, the antibacterials are produced in multiple dosage forms. The retail pharmacy chains offer antibiotics in the form of:

oral suspension

oral tablets, capsules and dragees

lyophilized powder for solution for injection

Online pharmacies are an option for those who are used to value their time and money. After all, the online pharmacy allows you to quickly buy antibiotics at relatively low cost.

Despite the fact that doctors and scientists argue about the dangers and benefits of antibiotics, one must admit that the story of the antibiotics discovery was of great importance for humanity.

Until a few decades ago, a common bacterial infection could be fatal. Yet today, you may start an effective antibiotic therapy in the very first signs and symptoms of a bacterial infection.

Thus, it should be noted that many antibiotics are sold online without a prescription. Therefore, anyone may buy the required antibiotic online, and start the treatment of a bacterial infection without consulting a doctor first.

The introduction of antibiotics in medical practice has made it possible to cure people of various infectious diseases and prolong their lives. However, the history of the antibiotics use for suppressing the activity of pathogenic bacteria did not appear immediately.

It is believed that the antibiotics history begins simultaneously with the discovery of Alexander Fleming in 1928 of the antibiotic penicillium. It should be noted that the historical evidence proves that such substances, as antibiotics, have been used by mankind for many centuries.

The scientific justification for the use of antibiotics in clinical practice began only in the twentieth century. One of the science founders became Louis Pasteur, who in 1877 discovered that the growth of pathogenic bacteria may be stopped, if you introduce another bacteria into the body.

Studies, made by Pasteur, showed that airborne bacillus may inhibit the growth of Bacillus anthracis and doesn’t harm animals. This inspired the German scientist, Paul Ehrlich, to perform the synthesis of specific compounds that would help inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria in humans.

In light of the research, made by Paul Ehrlich and Alfred Bertheim, the history of antibiotics continued. As a result, the first synthetic antibacterial arsphenamine has been synthesized, which was used to treat syphilis. However, this scientific discovery did not put a full stop in the process of development of new antimicrobials, and the history of new antibiotics creation is still ongoing.

It historically turned out so, that in the beginning of XX century the British scientist Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered the first modern antibiotic – penicillium, which is still widely used in medical practice.

Penicillium is still one of the most effective and low-toxic antibiotics. It is allowed for use even in early childhood and pregnant women.

Penicillin is the first line antibiotic of choice for the treatment of strep throat in adults and in children. Depending on the nature and severity of the infectious disease, you may buy parenteral (injection) or oral (tablets, syrup) forms of penicillin.

The history of penicillin discovery: in 1928, A.Fleming noticed a strange phenomenon – the mold seemed to have dissolved the microbial culture, inhabiting a petri dish. Subsequently, the scientist have found that fungi synthesize specific substance, which helps them withstand other microorganisms. This substance was named by Fleming “penicillium” (from lat. penicillium – mold).

At that time, the scientist’s discovery did not attract much attention from the medical and scientific communities. Perhaps, the reason for the unpopularity of the antibiotic discovered lied in the fact that Fleming was unable to extract a “clean” penicillin, resistant in the external environment.

Subsequently, some scientists have tried to improve the effectiveness of penicillin. Yet, only more than 10 years later (in 1942), scientists Florey and Chain succeeded in creating a new page in the history of antibiotics, and obtained purified penicillin for the first time.

Already by the end of 1943, the large-scale production of penicillium was initiated. In 1945, Fleming, Chain and Florey were awarded with the Nobel Prize for their discovery.

Following the successful production and application of penicillium, scientists from different countries have continued to contribute to the history of new effective antibiotics creation. The antibacterials started appearing with an incredible speed:

in 1939 – gramicidin,

in 1943 – streptomycin,

in 1945 – chlortetracycline,

in 1947 – chloramphenicol.

By 1950, more than 100 different antibiotics were described.

The history of new antimicrobials discovery continues at the present time. Today, they already account to several thousand. Yet, not all are applicable in medical practice, since many antibiotics have high toxicity and cause side effects.

To date, the cephalosporins are considered one of the most effective and safe antibiotics.

The history of this antibiotics the discovery begins in 1948, when the Italian scientist Giuseppe Brotzu noticed that mold fungi of the genus Cephalosporium acremonium produce a substance that effectively destroys the causative agent of typhoid Salmonella typhi.

Usually, 5 generations of cephalosporins are distinguished. Each subsequent generation of cephalosporins is different from the previous by a broader spectrum of antimicrobial activity and a higher stability to beta-lactamases (bacterial enzymes).

Cephalosporins are prescribed for children and adults (including pregnant women) for the treatment of dangerous respiratory diseases, bacterial meningitis, sepsis, and severe infections of the skin, soft tissues, bones and joints.

Unlike the penicillins, cephalosporins are less likely to cause allergy. However, this fact does not significantly affect the overall trends in the history of the development of the antibacterial drugs market. After all, cephalosporins and penicillins are still among the most prescribed groups of the antibacterial drugs.

If you do not have time to look for an inexpensive antibiotic, and you want to start treating the disease as quickly as possible, you may buy any anti-bacterial drug on an online pharmacy.

Price for antibiotics on the online pharmacies is always lower, than the retail price. Therefore, when you buy tablets or capsules for the treatment of bacterial infections online, you save your time and money.